Ex-Alabama RB Dee Hart reportedly transferring to CSU

Running back Dee Hart tries to shake a Georgia State defender while running upfield last fall for Alabama. Hart plans to transfer to CSU, where he will be eligible immediately, the Orlando Sentinel reported Wednesday.(Photo: John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports)

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Former Alabama running back Dee Hart told his hometown newspaper he is transferring to CSU for his final two seasons of college football.

A Colorado State University athletic department spokesman could not confirm the transfer, reported Wednesday by the Orlando Sentinel.

Hart, a 5-foot-9, 187-pounder, left the Alabama program in January after the Sugar Bowl. He played in 12 of 13 games for the Crimson Tide last season, mostly on special teams. He ran for 78 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries for Alabama in 2013 and was in on nine tackles on special teams.

He was arrested for marijuana possession in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in February.

Hart redshirted his first season at Alabama in 2011 after tearing his ACL during an offseason workout and suffered another knee injury while fielding a punt five games into the 2012 season, AL.com reported.

Hart told the newspaper in May that he was considering finishing his career at CSU under coach Jim McElwain, who was Alabama's offensive coordinator when the five-star recruit signed with the Crimson Tide out of Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando.

He confirmed it Wednesday, the Sentinel reported, while traveling to Fort Collins. NCAA rules prohibit colleges from discussing specific players who are not yet in their program until they have signed a financial-aid agreement, national letter of intent or formally enrolled in classes.

Hart told the Sentinel that he received his degree from Alabama, making him eligible to play immediately for the Rams.

CSU is looking for a running back to replace Kapri Bibbs, who ran for a school-record 1,741 yards and NCAA-best 31 touchdowns last season to help the Rams post an 8-6 record that included a New Mexico Bowl win over Washington State. Bibbs left school over the winter with two years of eligibility remaining and now is in training camp with the Denver Broncos trying to earn a spot on the NFL team's regular-season roster.